SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of pre-school kids and students of elementary and high schools from several performing art groups in the U.S. state of California have presented a night gala featuring Chinese culture to raise fund for a charity organization.

The youths performed Chinese folk songs and dances, breath-taking Kong Fu performance, Dragon dances, and songs from classical nostalgic Western movies and pop music.

Young people can be a great support for the disadvantaged children and their passion for charity can make a big difference, said Jenny Huang, CEO of non-profit We Are Together Foundation and general director of the gala, on Monday.

The gala that was held here on Sunday night was the foundation's latest efforts in 2019 to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Cupertino city in Silicon Valley, a U.S. independent charity organization that provides a place to stay for families of hospitalized children under 18 years of age, who are currently receiving medical treatment in nearby Stanford Hospital.

"McDonald House offers free housing, meals, activities, support programs and even education opportunities for the parents and siblings of the children hospitalized in the Stanford Children's Health center, and they need financial support to keep their charity alive," Huang said.

Laura Gregory shared with the audience her story of her sick baby more than 20 years ago, when her son had to be hospitalized for serious illness after he was born.

She said her son had to stay in the Stanford Hospital for nine days, but "I didn't want to go home without my baby."

At this difficult time, McDonald House reached out to help and told her that she and her husband could stay in their house just across the street from the hospital, where she could continue to nurse and be with the baby around the clock, Laura recalled.

"They give us food, they give us bed and showers, it was a nice place," she said, adding that her son who was a "sick little baby" had turned 20.

Huang said she hoped the gala will offer an opportunity for the youths to learn the spirit of giving and help the children living in the McDonald House grow stronger after all their hardships.